Tailboard



J. W. RICE TAILBOARD Fe 25, l 1'14 U.

Filed March 18, 1939 m WIRice INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 25, 19410 1' Claim.

This invention relates to tailboards for vehicle bodies, one of the objects being to provide a device of this character which can be readily formed upwardly or downwardly and can be arranged to automatically close when released.

A further object is to avoid the use of the loose chains commonly employed in connection with tailboards, thereby doing away with the unsightly appearance of dangling chains which must be fastened and unfastened whenever an adjustment of the tailboard is to be eifected.

A still further object is to provide the tailboard with spring-restrained chains adapted'to be retracted normally in housings provided therefor and which will withdraw from the housing automatically when the tailboard is moved away from its normal position.

Another object is to provide a tailboard which is simple and durable in construction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of a tailboard having the present improvement, the adjacent portions of the vehicle body being shown.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view partly in elevation and partly in section of the chain housings.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of the hinge of the tailboard.

Figure 6 is an end elevation thereof and of adjacent parts, the rod securing means being removed.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference designates a portion of the body of a vehicle to the rear end of the bottom of which are secured hinge plates 2 and 3 provided with sleeves 4 in which is mounted a hinge rod 5 having angular terminals 6 located adjacent to the sides of the body.

The tailboard has been indicated at l and is provided at its lower edge with hinge plate 8 having sleeves 9 mounted on rod 5 at each side of the sleeve of plate 2 and additional hinge plates 89 are secured to the tailboard near its sides, and have sleeves H mounted .on the rod.

Thus a hinge connection is provided between the 5 tailboard and the bottom of the body about which the tailboard can swing downwardlyto open position or upwardly to closed position. Coiled springs l2 are mounted on rod "5 with the sleeves d and 9 between them. The inner end of one of these springs is anchored in the adjacent sleeve 9, as shown at It while the outer end of said spring is anchored to a collar fixedly secured to rod 5 in any suitable manner, as by means of a rivet E5. The other spring 52 is anchored at its outer end to one of the sleeves 9 l while the opposite end of said spring is secured to a collar i5 secured to rod 5 in the same manner as collar it. Thus should the rod 5 be rotated in one direction within the sleeve, the two springs would be placed Lmder increasing tension and after the desired tension of the spring has been obtained, the rod 5 can be held against retrograde movement under the action of the spring by placing angular straps ll over the angular ends 6 of i he rod and bolting or otherwise fastening them to the end of the body as shown at Hi.

It is intended to adjust the springs so that the tension thereof will be suflicient to aid in the closing of the tailboard when released while open. Obvious, however, the tension of this spring can be varied to meet the working requirements.

Secured to and extending transversely of the tailboard 1 near the top thereof are parallel tubular housings l9 and 2!) arranged one above the other. One end of the housing Pi! is provided with an anchoring pin 25 to which is secured one end 22 extending longitudinally The other end of this spring is secured to a slide 23 which, in turn, is fastened to one end of a chain 24 which extends longitudinally within the housing and outwardly to a hook 225 secured to one side of the body and projecting backwardly from the end thereof.

The opposite end of the tubular housing I9 has a pin 26 to which is secured one end of a coiled spring 2? and this spring likewise extends longitudinally within the housing l9 and is connected to a chain 23 which projects from the other end of said housing and is adapted to be detachably engaged by a hook 29 or the like extending from the adjacent sideof the body. This chain is connected to the spring in the same manner as is chain 245.

The two springs are normally under tension and the housings l9 and 2e are so proportioned that the springs will hold the chains taut while they are in engagement with the hooks 25 and. 29. When it is desired to open the tailboard it is merely necessary to pull it backwardly and downwardly. This will 'cause the chains to be gradually withdrawn from their tubular housings while at the same time the springs 22 and 2? will be placed under increasing tension. Spring l2 will also operate to resist this downward movement of the tailboard but as the springs cooperate merely to slightly overcome the weight of the tailboard, it will be obvious that said tailboard can be lowered without meeting undesirable resistance. When it is desired to close the tailboard it is merely necessary to release it and as the combined strength oithe springs is such as to slightly overcome the weight of the tailboard, said tailboard will promptly be moved to closed position and at this time the springs 22 and. 2'! will draw the chains back into their tubular housings so that they will not be left hanging from the body as ordinarily.

Should it be desired to disconnect the chains from the hooks so that the tailboard can hang open, it would merely be necessary to lift them out of engagement whereupon the tailboard could swing rearwardly and downwardly against the action of the springs 12, these springs, by being placed under increasing tension, serving to assist the user in closing the tailboard when desired.

Obviously the apparatus constituting this in- Vention can be made in different sizes to adapt it to different chains of tailboards. By using it considerable labor heretofore required in operating tailboards is eliminated and the opening and closing of the tailboard is expedited. As the tubular housings l9 and 20 are located on the outer or back side of the tailboard 1, they are shielded from the contents of the body when loaded so as not to become battered and thus interfere with the proper operation of the chains and their springs within the housings. Furthermore these housings are parallel with the axis of movement of the tailboard and the chains extending from the two housings and to opposite sides respectively of the body thus cooperating with the housings to properly support the tailboard at both sides.

A What is claimed is:

The combination with a vehicle body and a hinged-tailboard connected to the bottom thereof for up and down swinging movement to closed and open position respectively, of tubular housings mounted on the outer surface of the tailboard and extending transversely thereof along lines parallel with the axis of movement of the tailboard, flexible elements detachably' connected to the respective sides of the body and extending into the respective housings, and resilient means within the respective housings and con nected to the respective chains for holding the chains normally retracted into the housings and the tailboard normally closed, said tailboard constituting means for protecting the housings from the contents of the body.

JOHN W. RICE. 

